Ryan had to take a last-minute trip to Germany for work, so he couldn’t join me for this podcast episode. I’m sure he’ll tell us all about it next time. In his stead, I asked my friend Chris Steltz of Beer Geek Nation to join me, and he brought a friend, Zak Davis from Shmaltz Brewing. It was a great time, but I’m looking forward to getting Ryan back for the next episode.

1:10 to 7:00 What we’ve been drinking. Zak is drinking one of Shmaltz’s own beers, a Reunion 2011, produced in conjunction with Terrapin. Chris doesn’t have anything special at all, just a Coronado Idiot IPA. Poser. And I’m drinking a Short’s Prolonged Enjoyment Session IPA in honor of our main topic, Session Beers. Also a momentary mention of the Occupy movement, Bell’s Oberon, and a peek at some beers Chris may be reviewing on his Youtube channel shortly.

7:00 to 14:25 The incredibly confusing nature of Shmaltz Brewing. Chris and I give recommendations of Shmaltz beers to try.

14:25 to 32:22 “Beer Hipsters.” Vimeo user John Smith has created a series of videos about the newest wave of the so-called beer geeks. We’ve all seen the videos and discuss the phenomenon. I start out a bit snarky towards the newbies, but Chris sets me straight by telling me I’m just as bad as the worst of the beer hipsters, and Zak helps put the whole thing in perspective. Always great to get feedback when I’m being a dick.

32:22 to 43:14 Our feature topic: session beers. Lew Bryson is trying to set up this upcoming April 7 as “Session Beer Day.” What is a session beer, and do they have a real future in the American market. This could be a subject we cover for four hours by itself, so by necessity our conversation doesn’t cover everything, but I think we hit the high points of this topic.

43:14 to 44:57 Wrapping up, where to find our stuff on the Internet. Thanks to the guys for joining me on the podcast! Remember that you can email the podcast at beyondthepour@gmail.com if you have questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for future episodes!